Chapter Ten: Some Body to Love

"I don't understand. Why me? Why use me like that to help Maleficent get revenge on us?"

And with an ominous, echoing voice, Ursula responded, "Because you are the heart of the Ghostbusters! And what a better way of weakening your precious little band than striking the heart!"

Ursula's plan seemed to have worked, as J.G. appeared to be heavily distraught by the fact that his one and only true girlfriend turned out to be another evil spirit. The other Ghostbusters noticed the despair upon his face while looking down at the ground. It was enough to make both Alexis and Kimberly seriously angry at Ursula for doing this to him.

"Now that's cold, Sea Bitch…even for you!" Kim exclaimed. "My boy, Jay, is an awesome guy who knows how to treat a girl right! If there's anybody who's lost something great from this, it's you!"

Ursula bellowed with laughter. "Oh, really? How do you figure?"

"Because love is a lot stronger than you can imagine." Alexis told her. "Dr. Stantz is a great man. I might not know him as well as these other guys do, but I know him well enough to admit this: If I had someone as special as him in my life, I'd cherish every moment of our time together rather than exploit it like you have!"

These words caught J.G.'s attention just as immediately as Alexis said them. It reminded him of the great times he had with Vanessa, when he wasn't aware of it all being a ploy. And it lifted his spirits again knowing that it was all coming from such a wonderful human being like Alexis Embers, whom he only had the pleasure of knowing for a couple of days before seeing how great she was not only as a Ghostbuster, but as a friend.

It was the first time he ever experienced true love, and it happened at the same time he lost it with someone who never truly loved him. That very night was when found newfound respect (and love) in a young woman who seemed nothing more than an inexperienced rookie when he first met her. And the event that came after that particular moment increased such feelings toward Alexis once she sacrificed her humanity to enclose the portal between the real world and the ghost world, preventing Maleficent from doing much harm to the former. Alexis saved the world that night, after bringing J.G. and his team back together. Those memories seemed very distant, especially after what recently happened to Alexis.

Yet the memories continued to flow through Stantz's mind while lying down over his bed on the partially dim second floor bedroom of the firehouse and gazing upon the ceiling. The music of Hoobastank played on a digital radio nearby as he had done so. It was the most depressing one of all their songs, but it seemed very appropriate for him to listen to at the time…

I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That's why I need you to hear

I've found a reason for me
to change who I used to be
A reason to start over new

And the reason is you

The entire time he lied there and listened to the music, all while reminiscing on two years worth of memories, Christina stood in the doorway to the bedroom. It was a sight that just about brought her to tears, seeing a great friend mourning over another. She didn't have the heart to tell him about the call she had just received from the morgue about Alexis. Yet it was important that he knew what was going on anyway. Any news on Alexis – even after her passing – would be important to him.

Christina knocked on the door frame to get his attention. J.G. sat up immediately the moment he heard it, almost surprised to see her standing there. Raising her hands to calm him, she said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you."

Stantz shook his head. "You're not." The liveliness in his voice was completely gone. All that remained was a void of sadness and despair. It broke Christina's heart just to hear it. "I was just…um…thinking of what I might say at the fu…" He swallowed hard, unable to bring himself to utter the word. His mouth felt dry even upon saying the first syllable of it.

She didn't want to let him say it for his own sake. Instead she moved on quickly to the reason she was there in the room. "I just got a call from the hospital on Alexis, Jay." His eyes remained focused on her, only more heavily so with the mentioning of Alexis. "The diener says that her body somehow…disappeared."

On that last word, J.G. jumped off the bed, stood on his two feet, and stared at Christina in a mixture of confusion and anger. "What do you mean 'disappeared'?! Where is she?!"

"He doesn't know. He just said that…"

Christina barely had enough time to explain herself as J.G. stormed out of the bedroom, heading downstairs. She immediately followed him, wondering where he figured on going with the Ecto-2K taken by his colleagues all the way down to Florida. Of course, that didn't stop him from going over to Christina's desk on the first floor to pick up the phone and call for a taxicab. His mind certainly was stuck on what had become of Alexis Embers's body, seeing that he was wearing the same flight suit for nearly a whole week, had not showered in that same time frame, and unshaven. From Christina's perspective, he wasn't in the proper attire or under the proper hygiene to go out in public.

Of course, Christina wasn't going to tell him that. That job was much suited for someone more heartless – like Louise Peck. "Oh, dear god! This bloody place is starting to smell worse by the day!" She walked in from out of nowhere, drinking from a white coffee mug with the Ghostbusters insignia over it – the same one that Kimberly Venkman owned. "What're you blokes up to this evening?"

Christina just stared at her in aggravation, the tone in her voice oozing with something that was like pins in her eardrum. "Don't you have a life outside this firehouse? An apartment to live in? Something to keep your butt occupied when you're not workin'?!"

Louise just shrugged and answered, "Nope. Apparently not."

Melnitz rolled her eyes. As it seemed, Peck wasn't the only Junior Ghostbuster at the firehouse that night. Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher were currently in attendance as well, constructing new ghost-busting equipment in the unoccupied space in the garage to show Sean Spengler when he returned. Alex Russo was present also, watching MTV off the flat-screen set nearby. All of the other J.G.B.'s had the night off – something they wished to have with the slow night of paranormal activity occurring.

After a brief moment on the phone, J.G. finally got hold of a nearby cab company that could have a taxicab arrive to pick him up at the firehouse in less than fifteen minutes. Hanging up the phone, he was about to head outside to wait for the ride until Christina stood in front of him, trying to calm him down. "Jay, listen…I'm sure whatever's goin' on is a simple mistake."

"Mistake?!" Stantz exclaimed, catching the attention of everyone in the room. "That is my fiancée they lost, Christina!"

"She was your fiancé, Jay." Christina corrected him.

He was so upset that he barely even caught his own error. Had he really refused that much to accept the passing of the woman he once loved? It was a feeling so overwhelming that he had to take a moment to do what Christina attempted to get him to do and calm down. Walking over to the same couch where Alex was sitting and watching television from, he sat down and began rubbing his fingers through his messy black hair.

Alex almost couldn't bear to see the same guy who used to be her boss in the bookstore he owned a couple years ago in such a brooding attitude. It was almost uncharacteristic of him, considering how full of life he was. Without even thinking, she muted the television set and sat in closer to the guy who had recently become her best friend. "Hey, Dr. Stantz…I miss Alexis, too. I still remember when she first came into the bookstore that day, wanting to bring you back into the team. I knew from that moment you two were meant to be together."

The teenage wizard hoped that what she had told the Ghostbuster would help bring him out of his funk rather than put him further into it. It was rather difficult to tell, seeing the great deal of frustration in his face as he stared off into space. However, Alex refused to give up. She finally told J.G. with one last ditch effort, "If it makes you feel better, I'll go with you to find her."

Christina felt it was necessary to step in and interject that moment. "No, sweetie – I don't think that'd be…"

"No." J.G. quickly and calmly protested. "It's okay. Alex was there the day I first met Alexis…so she has every right to be involved."

Alex smiled, feeling honored to be part of something special in the life of her boss, mentor, and friend. She only wished that her reason for joining him hadn't been under unfortunate circumstances such as this.

"Dr. Stantz," Phineas approached, "if you require some special technical assistance in finding Alexis, Ferb and I reconfigured our P.K.E. Meter to search for any forms of life that are…well…for a more simplistic terminology…lifeless."

In addition to this, Ferb stated, "No offense to Miss Embers, of course."

J.G. grinned – something he hadn't done in days. "If it helps find Alexis, none taken."

Seeing Phineas and Ferb in the firehouse headquarters, Louise curiously inquired, "Aren't you boys a little young to be staying up this late in the evening, hanging out with strangers, and searching for dead bodies with equipment designed by a grown-up?"

Phineas and Ferb exchanged a quick glance and then responded to Louise's inquiry in unison. "Yes…yes, we are."

Louise just shrugged, looking very nonchalant as she turned toward the staircase. "Whatever. If you chaps need me, I'll be upstairs in bed."

Watching her depart in such a non-caring manner, Christina shook her head, clearly unable to accept her atrocious behavior.

I can't believe having her around here is actually startin' to make me miss Dr. Venkman…just a little.